Four Strategies to Muscle Up Your Forearms
By Greg Merrit


We regularly make the point to hardgainers that, since you’re not a pro bodybuilder, you shouldn’t train like one. Nowhere is the truth of this maxim more evident than in the flesh between the wrists and the elbows. Many Mr. Olympia competitors don’t directly train forearms; some never have. They rely instead on superior genetics and the indirect stimulation of gripping during back and biceps exercises. Forget what they don’t do, and focus instead on what you should do — train your forearms as frequently as your deltoids, and guard against complacency. Why should your lower arms grow if you merely pump out the same lackluster sets of wrist curls at the end of every arm routine?


Our four strategies for revitalizing your forearm training will give this very visible area the intensity and variety it needs for continuous expansion.


MEGA REST-PAUSE

Forearms, like calves, tend to respond well to occasional doses of very high reps. One shocking way to do this is to use a barbell for wrist curls with which you’ll reach failure at around 25 reps. Do as many reps as you can, set the bar down for 10 seconds and then begin again. Repeat this pattern until you reach a total of 100 reps. Include a similarly patterned mega rest-pause set of reverse wrist curls in the same workout.


MEGA REST-PAUSE ROUTINE



Barbell Wrist Curls | SETS: 1 | REPS: 100 rest-pause
Reverse Barbell Wrist Curls | SETS: 1 | REPS: 100 rest-pause



STATIC HOLDS

In one sense, static holds — during which the resistance does not move — are the opposite of mega reps. After all, you’re resisting the completion of a single rep as opposed to doing many reps. When it comes to the pain, however, both are endurance tests won by withstanding the agony as long as possible.

Dumbbell wrist contractions: While seated, grasp a heavy dumbbell (a weight you could normally wrist curl for only five reps or less) in each hand and keep your arms straight down with your palms facing your sides. Curl your palms toward your inner forearms and hold the contraction for as long as possible.

Reverse dumbbell wrist contractions: This is the same as the previous exercise, except you raise the backs of your hands toward your outer forearms and hold for as long as possible. Resist the urge to let your hands drop even slightly.


Plate pinches: Grasp two barbell plates between the thumb and fingers of one hand so that the plates’ flat sides face out. With your arm and wrist straight down at your side, pinch the plates for as long as possible. If you can hold them for 90 seconds, increase the resistance (weight) for the next set. You can alternate hands or work both simultaneously. Start with 10-pound plates.

STATIC HOLDS ROUTINE



Dumbbell Wrist Contractions | SETS: 2 | REPS: 1 static hold
Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Contractions | SETS: 2 | REPS: 1 static hold
Plate Pinches | SETS: 2 | REPS: 1 static hold

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FREEDOM IS SOMETHING TAKEN